


A Smile

by Warp5Complex_Archivist



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-28
Updated: 2006-02-28
Packaged: 2018-08-15 17:52:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8067031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warp5Complex_Archivist/pseuds/Warp5Complex_Archivist
Summary: Tucker is fascinated by T'Pol. (09/13/2003)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Kylie Lee, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Warp 5 Complex](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Warp_5_Complex), the software of which ceased to be maintained and created a security hazard. To make future maintenance and archive growth easier, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but I may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Warp 5 Complex collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Warp5Complex).

He watched her as she walked onto the bridge. He found it odd that her movements reminded him of a cat. She was quick as she walked, but graceful. There was pride in her every step. Pride in her every movement, every word. There was even pride in the way she looked, her hair being perfect, her clothes always straight with no sign of untidiness.

They way she stood at her post, so tall and erect. She never slouched, never looked relaxed. She always looked like she was on edge. Trip wondered if that was because she was on a ship filled with humans, or if all Vulcan's looked so rigid all the time. Trip wondered if she relaxed in her quarters. If she curled up with a good book like Hoshi did. Or if she ever smiled at their blunders while alone and without fear of anyone knowing. Could Vulcan's even smile? Had generations of no emotions made the Vulcan's loose their ability to smile?

Trip shook his head and returned to work. He didn't want the whole ship knowing about his fascination with the Vulcan. They'd ridicule him, and she'd treat him as more of a virus than she already did.

That night Trip dreamt about T'Pol, her hair a mess, her clothes wrinkled from sleep. She wasn't perfect. She was relaxed, in his quarters. He'd asked her over for a late night snack, and she actually came. He'd told her stories of his childhood, and he saw the beginnings of a smile appear. But she caught herself and stood up quickly. She had to go back to sleep, as should he.

When Trip woke up he smiled to himself. He was determined to see T'Pol smile, and in real life. He'd do whatever it took. Take however long it took. That Vulcan was going to smile.

They were eating dinner with the Captain. Trip and T'Pol. She was staring at him as he took the meat from his fork. He smiled at her. "At least we cook it. Years ago, they didn't cook meat."

"Nobody can say you are not advanced." T'Pol said.

Trip dropped his fork. "Was...was that a joke?" He teased her.

"I was merely saying that you are more advanced than your predecessors. Vulcan's do not joke."

"Yes, I forgot. Joking would be showing happiness, and that's an emotion." Trip looked over at the Captain.

He smiled and took a bite of his baked potato. "Joking can also relieve tension. In movies that were considered to be scary, they would add the token `comic relief'. A man or woman who would make jokes during the scary parts to relieve the audience and let them breath." Archer said.

"Have you noticed that the comic relief usually gets killed before the end of the movie?" Trip commented.

"Why would humans want to be scared on purpose. What does that accomplish?" T'Pol asked.

"It's entertainment. Something we do to relax and get away from the world."

"And getting scared is relaxing?" T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "I have seen humans scared. I have seen you scared. You were not relaxed. You were even violent."

"I was under some toxins." Trip said, dropping his fork to stare at her.

"Yes, you were. But you were scared nonetheless. How is going to a movie any different?"

"If we go to something that we know will scare us, if our intention of going there is to be scared, then we expect it, and we know the things around us are fake and can't hurt us. But when we are in real danger, and are really scared, we tend to act differently."

"We Vulcan's act the same no matter the situation." T'Pol said evenly.

"Yes, and you Vulcan's are the superior race. We've heard it all." Trip said. He stood up to go.

"Trip, sit back down. She wasn't trying to be indignant." Archer said.

"I was merely trying to learn about your culture." T'Pol said.

"The only true way to learn about our culture is to experience it." Trip said as he sat back down.

"Are you implying that I should go see a movie?"

"When we get back to Earth of course. We don't have a movie theater on board. I bet you'd enjoy it." Trip said with a smile. She looked horrified, at least her eyes looked horrified, at the prospect of doing something `human'. "I'd be happy to go with you. To protect you from all the horrific humans."

T'Pol raised her eyebrow. "That will not be necessary."

"I suggest you see a comedy, you'll be scared enough having to sit so close to a human." Trip teased.

"We shall see."

"All right you two, enough." Archer said, a look of amusement on his face.

After dinner Trip went to his room to relax. He wanted to get caught up on his notes. He was eating some crackers and cheese when there was a tap on his door. He wondered why the person didn't just `ring the bell', but he told them to come in anyway. "T'Pol?"

"Commander." The Vulcan said as she walked in. "You are surprised that I am here."

"You are the last person I expected to be in my quarters."

"I came to tell you that it might indeed be a logical decision to see a movie when we get back to Earth. If I am to understand humans, I should understand everything about them."

Trip smiled. "This couldn't wait until morning?"

T'Pol almost looked like she was fidgeting, if Vulcan's could fidget.

Deciding to make her feel more comfortable, Trip offered her some cheese, she declined. "Would you care to learn a game?"

"We do not play games."

"You also don't see movies. Come on, it's fun."

He beckoned for her to sit down at the table. Then he brought out a box from the cabinet. "It's called Checkers."

"She beat me at every game! Even the first game we played!" Trip smiled. He was having dinner with Malcolm and Travis.

"What'd you expect?" Travis asked.

"Well, I was at least expecting to win the first game." Trip sipped his tea.

"I still can't believe she played with you, in your quarters. What'd you slip in her dinner?" Malcolm asked.

"Maybe it was just my Southern charm that brought her to me."

Travis and Malcolm exchanged glances. "Charm? Is that what you call it?"

The doors opened and an excited Porthos ran into the mess hall. He ran around the room before stopping at Trip's feet and looking up at him expectantly. "What do you want, and how'd you get in here?"

Trip looked up and saw Hoshi smiling at him. "He slipped in behind me when I opened the door."

Trip picked up the dog and stared at him. "Come on Porthos, we better get you back to the captain." Trip stood up and left the mess hall, with Porthos licking his face.

He touched the `doorbell' of the captain's quarters. "Come in."

"Missing something Captain?" Trip asked as he entered the room. He laid Porthos on the bed.

"I didn't realize he'd gotten out. Must have been when T'Pol left."

"T'Pol was in here?" Trip asked. He had to push down bits of jealousy.

Archer smiled. "She said that you taught her to play Checkers."

"I did. And she beat me every time."

"I was thinking...we should have a movie night."

"What?"

"I found a DVD player in one of the crates in the stockroom. I'm sure one of us could figure out how to hook it up to the monitor in the Recreational Room. I'm sure that's why it's here, they just forgot to hook it up."

"Do you know how long it's been since I've watched a DVD?"

"Probably since you were a kid. They've become obsolete, I know. But, we have one onboard, so why not use it?" Archer picked up a black metallic box.

"Do we even have any DVD's?" Trip asked.

Archer went to a crate and handed it to Trip. "Take your pick. Come on; help me with hooking this thing up. You are our engineer after all."

Trip followed the captain to the Rec Room, making sure Porthos didn't get out again. It took him thirty minutes to figure how it was to be hooked up, and another fifteen minutes figuring out how it worked, but he got it set up.  
"You're the captain, you choose the first DVD."

Archer read all of the titles and finally chose by closing his eyes and pointing. When he opened them again he read the title. "Gone With the Wind. I remember hearing about that. It was a great movie in its time."

"It's a chick flick Captain." Trip said, looking at the disc with disgust.

"It's a classic." Archer said. "We'll make sure it works before we broadcast the showing." He put in the disc and pressed play. The menu screen popped up. "How do we select play?"

"I don't know. This was your idea."

"You're the engineer."

"I think you need a remote controller." Trip said.

"There wasn't one in the box."

"Maybe that's why it wasn't hooked up." Trip looked at the Captain.

With a sigh the Captain turned the DVD and monitor off. "Well, there goes that."


End file.
